Meade High School Principal John Yore has been named a finalist for the 2016 Washington Post Principal of the Year Award. Yore will represent Anne Arundel County Public Schools, and is one of approximately 20 principals in Washington-area school districts being considered for the award.
Yore has led Meade for four years, and made an incredible impression on staff and students.
“Mr. Yore is a truly phenomenal principal and through pouring his heart and soul into Meade High School, he has become the heart and soul of our school,” one student wrote in support of Yore’s nomination. “I have had the great honor of witnessing the reform that came with his arrival… he changed the lives of thousands here at Meade.”
Two words form the basis of Yore’s approach to almost every initiative: class and character. When the school’s boys soccer team lost in the state championship game last fall but won the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award, Yore said: “The win would have been nice. However, this is most meaningful. We love victories, but there are no wins without class and character.”
Yore has also built a tremendous rapport with the school’s community. Parents and community partners have come to expect responsiveness, inclusiveness, and a willingness to extend the influence of the school outside the building itself.
“I am very humbled by this honor,” Yore said. “I have always wanted to be in a place where every interaction is respectful, with no exceptions. This goal extends to every adult and student in our school community. I must lead this mission and I do not give myself the latitude for anything less than excellence.”
Yore will be featured on a special page in The Washington Post in the coming weeks.